Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1887-10-15
RALT1o,s GREAr F1RE.


strOyed and Nine Hundred Employees
Thrown out of WOrk-Cause of Fire
UnknOwn-Gas Works Burned.
WILLTMANTIC, Oct. 14.-Baltic was visited
this morning by terribly destructive confla-
grafton, destroying the Sprague mills,
building ave stories high, one thousand feet
long, with two large additions. The fire
broke out ct 2:30 a. m. The watchman dis
covered it, but the cause is unknown. The
loss is estimated at 81, 500, 600 and the insur-
ance is $3.50, 200. The mill was built in 1857
by Amasa and William Sprague, and latterly
had been operated by 81. L. Aldrich s. Co.
of Providence in making cotton cloth. Over
nine hundred hands are thrown out of en-
ployment. The gas works in the mills rear
was also destroyed. When the blaze was
first seen it was in the speeder room, and I'M
der considerable Roadway. The Waterman
at once rang the mills alarm bell and alarm
ed the town, and within thirty minutes ten
streams of water were playing on the build
ing. The flooring was SO greasy that the
flames spread rapidly, going the full length
of the mill in forty minutes. Norwich and
Willimantic were called upon to assist, but
before the engines could reach the scene the
mill was in ruins. The mill was amply sup
piled with force pumps, stand pipes and hose,
but these were powerless to prevent or even
STAY the ruin which ensued. The flames
spread like wild fire ana the water supply
failed at an early stage in the case before the
flames had gained full Roadway. In two
hours and half the main building and two
additions were in ruins.
By the time the pumps and the steam fire
engine with which the mill was equipped
were got to work the entire main building
was burning. When the first floor fell in the
hydrants were broken or disabled and only
H.
to bear on the roaring pile. At o'clock the
gas regulating machine exploded and by day
light only the blackened and cracking walls
remained of the once magnificent mill, and,
cooling off as the morning advanced, they too
collapsed and their bricks piled over the
heaps. Everything, mill, machinery and
stock, was utterly destroyed. The cause of
the fire is a mystery and, though without
evidence of it, incendiarism seems the only
possible explanation. The mill was lighted
| with gas, so the blaze could not have
started from oil lamps. The mill was
fore the klaze was discovered as
certified to by the Waterman in his rounds,
and there was no accumulation of waste to
suggest theory of spontaneous combustion.
| If the mill had been purposely fired better
| time nor better spot than the speeder room
could not have been selected. The room was
directly in the center of the MILL SO the
| flames reached in all directions to enwrap the
structure. The owners, however, knew of
| no enemy who would have been tempted to
| the deed.
The Baltic mill was in days gone by the
pride of the A. & w. Sprague Manufacturing
| company. Under a decision of the Supreme
| court the property was leased by
the Sprague trustee to II. L. Aldrich and
| II. III. Tober in 1881, the firm being
| known as the H. L. A1drich & Co. The
| mill was in about as bad shape it could
L L. IL - l. I@,,s1I
| ing it up and the coming winter promised to
| give them the fruits of their labor and ex-
| pense. The capacity was seventy thousand
| spindles and looms, slashers and nearly all
| the machinery were new. The mill had an
| excellent FIRE equipment, but the rapid spread
and the location of the flames soon rendered
| it useless The assessed valuation of the
property was 100000, out of a total of ST.
| 1913, 900 for the whole town, and the cost of
the plant must have exceeded two million
dollars.
Insurance on the mill and machinery were:
Mercantile E Boston g. 59o Washington Ws Yep
81, 500; Lafayette, New York, $500 ;
hsHihsn'' New New York, f0 {5oo HOW
ard, New York, $4,000 Commercial,
San Francisco, $500 British America,
burgh, 1880 Fireman's, Boston, S., 600 /;
Neptune, Boston, $1,000; Security, New
Haven, $4,000; Prescott, Boston, s., 500;
Hope, New Orleans, So, 500; Lion, London,
So, 900; Commercial Union, London, $1,000;
Northern, London, So, 900; Fire association,
Philadelphia, $500; Phcenix, Brooklyn,
$25, 900; Fire association, New York, So, 500;
Liverpool, London and Globe, $13, 500;
Citizens, Pittsburg, $4,000; British
American, Toronto, $4,000; Commerce,
Albany, 81, 500; Boylston, Boston,
So, 500; Boatmen's, Pittsburg, $4,000; Mer-
camille, Cleveland, $4,000; Teutonia, New
Orleans, 50, 500; Alliance, New York, s., 500;
Union, Philadelphia, $4,000; American,
Newark, $4,000; New York Fire, New
York, 81, 500; Peoples, Middletown, So, 500;
London Assurance, $4,000; Farragut,
New York, $4,000; Uunion, San Fran
$1,000; Westchester, New 49, York,
$4,000; Firemen's, Newark, $4,000; Nj
agara, New York, So, 600; Fire association,
New York, $4,000; Home, New York, So
900; Connecticut, Hartford, SIS, 900; Howard,
New York, So, 1000; New Hampshire, Man
chester, 1000; Hartford, Hartford, $4,000;
Fire Insurance association, London, $1,000;
Continental, New York, So, 1000; Anglo-Ne-
vada, San Francisco, 5000; Norwich Union,
London, $500; Lion, London, $4,000;
North British and Mercantile, $13, 900; Ameri-
can, New York, So, 500; total $257, 200. The
mill was fve-story building and formerly
the property of the A. & w. Sprague estate,
having been run by II. L. Aldrich & Sons
since 1881 on lease. 1t had a capacity of
$4,000 spindles, producing print goods.